Tire filling means



W. W. MCMAHANA TIREFILLING MEANS May 25, 1943.

Filed Feb. 2?-, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheerl l gnam/rm May 25, 1943.

W. W. MCMAHAN TIRE FILLING 'MEANS Filed Feb. 27, 1941 sheets-sheet 2 l -tion ofthe same with the valve core removed Patented May 25, 1943 Tum FILLING MEANS wllllsm w. MoMallan, Akron, ohio, osslgnor to Wingfoot Corporation, Akron, Ohio, a corporation o! Delaware Application February 27,1941, serial No. ssosls 3 Claims.

This invention relatesto filling tires with water or other liquid and includes means for removing the core from a valve for the -introduction of A water or other liquid into a tire and for returning the core to the valve after the tire is filled. It 5 also includes pieanslor denresinstlieyalve stem while'lt'ssurroulldelwithgater., The waterlling means, herein called an adapter, is adapted for use in lling a vehicle tire with or without an inner tube, whether thetire be nlled coml` pletely oronly partially with the water.

Wherever the specication refers to filling a tire with water, it is to be understood that it includes filling a, tire with any aqueous solution,

such as a solution of calcium chloride or other l salt which will not freeze at the lowestwinter temperatures.` l

'Ihe valve-core-removing device may be adapted to remove only the valve core, or it may remove the valve core together with the housing asf sociated withit. The removal oi' the valve coref Iwith or without the valve housing, is accomplished in a chamber connected to the valve casing by watertight means, and the valve core may be removedand reinserted after filling the tire with a liquid, without any loss ofliquid. The tire may be iilled with liquid under any desired pressure with the valve core removed, and the valve core may then be replaced without any decrease in the pressure in the tire. 30

The invention will'be further described in connection with the accompanying drawings which describe the invention more in detail as applied to two different typesof conventional valves.

Fig. 1 shows a section through a tire mounted on a rim and the valve-removing -means is shown partly in section. AFig.v 2 is an venlarged sectionv through thevalve-removing means with the valve core seated in the valve casing.v Fig. 3 is a. sec-- from the casing.- Fig. 4 shows a tire .equipped withan inner tube, ln section, with-a conventional valve of adiflerent type from thatshown in Fig. 1 together with valve-removing means shown partly in section. Fig. 5 is an enlargementof the 45 valvesremoving means of Fis. 4, partly in section, with the valve core housing removed from the valve casing. Fig. 6 Aillurltrates in longitudinal cross section a modiiled form 'oradapten' Fig. 'l

enl' ed 1o animal sectional view of tno so is an m mi thovolvesni n and the usual orne u which valve shown ln Fig. 5. v

Fig. -1 shows a tubeless tire; L .This is a tire de signed for use on a tractor or other relatively slowly moving-implement; The tread is provided ablepac v A y The outer endof vthe rackl i5 is closed with rim 3. To prevent leakage of water into the interior of the tire, it is coated on the inside with -a gum coating I. In mounting a tubeless tire .it has been found advantageous to ilrst place'the tire on the rim and to use air pressure to spread y the beads and help in seating them on the rim.

Due to the leakage of air which occurs between the tire and rim before the beads are properly seated on the rim, no great air pressure can be developed `within the tire. Therefore, in order to aid in seating the tire beads 5, it has been yfound advantageous to place a belt or similar constricting device around the tread of the tire and to tighten the belt and thus force the beads apart. This aids in setting the beads and together with the use of ,air pressure within the tire, the beads may be firmly seated on the rim. Occasional pounding of the tire with a wooden mallet has been found useful in helping to seat the beads.

When the tire vis properly seated on the rim,

the air connection is removed from thevalve, and

the air pressure within the valve is reduced to normal.

The tire is then connected to the adapter i by screwing the adapter onto the valve casing 'l'.

Thewater line 8 is then connected to the adapterv through thecoupling 9.

Figs. 1 and 2 'show the valve core I0 screwed into the cap i I of the valve casing 1 in the usual way. The adapter I6 is connected to the valve casing by screwing the union I3 over thethreads I4 around the top portion of the cap Il. The valve core and valve casing are of the usual type except that in the conventional valve the threads M are omitted.

The adapter comprises two movable elements, namely the threaded valve rack I5 and the plunger I6. The rack. i5 moves in the threads ll at the outer end of the housing I8 of the adapter. 40 The rack I5 may be'moved injand out by turning in these threads I1; Instead of being threaded. in the end of the housing therack-may be smooth surfaced and may move as a plunger in any suitthe cap n'throughwhich the plunger I6 moves in .suitable packing. Theplunger is operated by the-handle 2|.

The lnner end ofthe plunger is birurcated separates into the twoI parts 22 Awhich lit over connects the opposite aides of the valve core.V

In operating the adapter the rack Il is'screwed down-until lt contacts with the upper portion 2l with heavy lugs 2. The tire is mounted. on theta 0 1 .the valve housing, as shown in Fig. `2. The

to the valve and thread 25 on the inner wall of this valve housing then forms a continuous thread with the thread 21 on the inner wall of the rack I5. The plunger I is then pushed in so that the bifurcated end 22 straddles the valve stem 23 and brace 24.' BY turning the handle 2| in a counter-clockwise direction the valve core is unscrewed from the threads 25, and it is screwed onto the threads 21 in the inner wall of the rack. After the valve has thus been transferred from the valve casing to the rack I5, the rack is removed from contact with the valve casing 25 by unscrewing it. The valve core l0 is thus removed from the valve casing and held in the rack until it is to be returned. The passageway through the valve being then unobstructed, water is introduced into the tire by opening the valve 30. As the tire iills, the pressure within it increases. The pressure is measured on the gauge 3 I.

If the tire is to be completely filled with water it will benecessary to vent the entrapped air ing the adapter. If equipped in this way the adapter may be permanentlyconnected with the water line.

Figs. 4 and 5 show the use oi the adapter in `connection with a diil'erent type of conventional valve. The tire 50 is mounted on the rim 5I. It is provided with an inner tube 52 in the usual way. The valve casing 53 is connected with the from the tire. Various means have been suggested tube is inserted through a separate valve, or by a suitable arrangement through the conventional valve, and the inner end of the tube is coated with cork or some light-weight material which causes it to oat on the top of the Water in the tire and provide means for drawing off the air from above the water. lAccording to another method the inner end of the tube is fastened to the inside of the tire at the center of the tread, and the piace where the tube is fastened is marked on the exterior of the tire so that in filling, the tube is positioned with the mark at the top of the tire. In this way the air is drawn oir from' the inside of the tire through the tube.

Another method ofventing the air which is illustrated in the drawings, provides for venting the air through the grommet 32 located at the center of the tread at` the top of the tire. The grommet is hollow and is tapped at the outer end. It is closed with the threaded cap 33. By unscrewing the cap the entrapped air is vented to the atmosphere. When all of the air has been driven out through the vent and water commences to spurt throughlthe opening, the cap 33 is replaced. The introduction o! water is then continued until a desired pressure, such as twenty-ve or forty pounds pressure, is built up` in the interior of the tire.

When the desired pressure has been built up within the tire, the valve is closed. The rack I5 is then screwed into the housing of the adapter until it. again rests on the top 25 of the valve casing as shown in Fig. 2. The handle 2| is then turned clockwise to screw the valve core III out or the rack I5 and return it tothe valve casing. When it has been screwed down into the valve casing until it isproperly seated, as.

shown in Fig. 2, the rack I5 is screwed away from the valve. The valve, then being free to operate in thenormal way, closes the passage through the valve casing and the adapter may then be removed v'without loss of water from within the are. To 'do this `die uniqn s is 'mst unscrewed to disconnect the water line 3 and then the adapter is'unscrewed on of the threads dBy equipping the lower end of the adapter with a pipe union, it is possible to connect the adapter to disconnect it without rotatinner tube, and the valve is held in place on the rim nut 54 in the usual way. The adapter may be used equally well with a valve of this type fastened to the rim of a tubeless tire, although when-fastened to the rim the valve will have a metal base instead of the flat rubber base shown in the drawings.

The upper end of the valve casing 53 is threaded pn the outside as indicated at 55'. The valve core housing 55 which contains the usual valve core is connected with the cap 51 which is threaded internally and screws down-over the threads 55. The outer surface of the cap is milled, as shown. f

The adapter comprises the housing 50 which is closed at the inner end by the cap 5I which screws onto the threads on the valve casing 53. The outer end of the adapter is closed by the cap 52 through which the plunger 53 slides. The vpacking 54 insures a water-tight joint.

With the tire in a deflated condition the adapterl is screwed onto the threads 53 of the valve casing. The water pipe 55 is then connected with the adapter by the union 65. The plunger 53 is pushed into the housing until it, grasps the milled cap 51 by its bifurcated or cupped end 10. The handle 51 of the plunger is then lturned counter-clockwise to unscrew the cap l51 from the threads 55 on the exterior of the top of the inthe inner tube, as indicated by the gauge 55,'

the valve 55 is closed, or the closing of the valve may be deferred until after the tire valve has been reassembled. Thev plunger 53 is then pushed into the adapter housing until the cap 51 presses against the top of the valve casing and then by turning the. handle 5'I of the plunger the cap 5l is screwed onto the top of .the valve casing. When the valve core and housing have been thus replaced in their normal position the plunger is pulled out, and the valve is again in position to operate normally. The water connection is then broken by unscrewing the union 55, and the adapter is then removed from the valve casing.

The invention comprises another type ot adapter illustrated invFig. 6 which does not remove the valve core, but merely depresses the valve stem to start the now of water into' the tire. This, of course, is to be used only where a small ilow of water is suilicient. No large flow o! water is possible due tothe presence of the valve mechanism in the valve casing. Such an adapter may, for example, be usedfor filling a small tire,v or where an increase in pressure is desired in a tire already filled with water. ",Ihe adapter designed Ior this purpose comprises a housing of 4 the type shown in the drawingawhich extends asados:

straight out from the valve casing. and its plunger is blunt-ended tor depressing the valve stem. As shown in the drawings the end of the plunger 'Il enters `the valve opening 1l and depresses thev pin 'I'I which operates the valve in theusual way to make an'- openins through the valve stem for the admission of water into the tire. This adapter may "be usedv in connection with either of the conventional valves shown in the drawings.

Although it may be used for filling a large tire, it is not very practical for this use because the now oi water is so small that an impractically long time will be required.

The specinc forms oi' adapter, here shown. may be modified, and the adapter may be providedV with means for use on other typesfot valves.

What I claim is: s 4

l); An adapter for iilling a tire with iiuid which 3 comprises a housing, means for introducing water t into the housing. means for connecting the housing by a water-tight connection with the valve used vfor inflation o! the tire and means operating within the housing for removing the valve core from the valve casing.

' 2. An adapter of the type claimed in claim 1 characterized by the fact that the means referred to therein as operating within the housing oomprises aplunger with a biiurcated end to nt over the valve stem and brace found within the valve.

3. An adapter or the type claimed in claim 1 characterized by the fact that the means referred to therein as operating within the housing comprises a plunger with means at the inner end for graspins the milled cap which holds the valve core housing to the valve casing in the valve,

- v r WILLIAM- W. MCMAHAN. 

